Topic: a tear to my eye, a lump in my throat.

[Sam Green Racing]

PLEASE DO PASS THIS ON TO SUPPORT OUR LADS IN ASFGHANISTAN

 




   

 

 

 

 

 

Please Keep This Going, it's Important!

 

Barry Whiteley, British and proud of it!

   
 


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Airline Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage

 compartment and sat down in my
assigned seat.

 It was  going to be a long flight from Gatwick.

'I'm glad I have a good book to read

 Perhaps I will get a short sleep,' I thought.
 
Just before take-off, a line of British Army Youngsters 

 came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats,

totally surrounding me.   

I decided to start a conversation.

 'Where are you blokes headed?' I asked the
Young man seated nearest to me.
 
Cyprus . We'll be there for two weeks

 for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan .   

After flying for about an hour,

an announcement was made that
 lunches were available for five pounds.

It would be several
hours before we reached Cyprus ,

and I quickly decided a lunch would
help pass the time..

As I reached for my wallet,

I overheard a soldier ask his mate if
he planned to buy lunch.

 'No, that seems like a lot of money for
just an airline lunch.

Probably  wouldn't be worth five Quid.

I'll wait till we get to Cyprus .   
His mate agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers.

 None were buying lunch.
I walked to the back of the plane

 and handed the flight attendant a
fifty Pound note.

'Take a lunch to all those soldiers..'

She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly.

Her eyes wet with tears,

she thanked me.

'My young bloke was a soldier in Iraq ,

 it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten lunchboxes,

 she headed up the aisle to where the
boys were seated.   

She stopped at my seat and asked,

'Which do you
like best - beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering

 why she asked..


She turned and went to the front  of plane, returning a minute
later with a dinner plate from first class.   

 This is your thanks.

After we finished eating,

I went again to the back of the plane,
heading  for the rest room.   

 An old bloke stopped me.   

 'I saw what you did.

I want to be part of it.   

 Here, take this.'   

He handed me twenty-five
Pounds..

Soon after I returned to my  seat,

 I saw the Captain coming
down the aisle, looking  at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he wasn't looking  for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers
only on my side of the plane.

  When he got to my row he stopped, smiled,
held out his hand, and said,

 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seat-belt I stood and took the Captain's hand.

With a booming voice he said,  'I was an army pilot a long time back.

Once someone bought me lunch.

 It was an act of kindness I never forgot.'   

 I was embarrassed when applause

 was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane

so I could stretch my legs.

A kid who looked about 18 was sitting about

 six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine.   

 He left another twenty-five Pounds
In my palm.

When we landed I gathered my  belongings and started to depart.
Waiting just inside the aeroplane door was a man who stopped me, put
something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word.
Another twenty-five Pounds!

Upon entering the terminal,

I saw the soldiers gathering for their
Trip  up to there training area..   

 I walked over to them and handed

 them seventy-five Pounds.

'It will take you some time to

reach your training area. It will be
about time for a sandwich.   

God Bless You Blokes.'

Ten young blokes left that flight feeling

the love and respect of their fellow Brits.

  As I walked briskly to my car,

I whispered a prayer for their  safe return.  These soldiers were
giving their all for our country.

 I could only give them a couple of meals.
It seemed so little...

A British Serviceman is someone who,

at one point in his life, wrote a blank
cheque made payable to

' United Kingdom '

for an amount of
'up to and including my life.'

That is Honour, and there are way

too many foreigners in this country

who don't understand it.' 

May you have the strength and

 courage to pass this along to

everyone on your email mates list....

I JUST DID!

Sam
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[bill440cars]

   THAT was just AWESOME Sam, it gave me chills as I read that. It IS good to know that there ARE folks who'll do like that and appreciate the efforts made by others.


                                        Bless you, for posting that, it hit ME the same way,  Bill

[demon78]

Great Sam!
Bill the demon.

[luder]

Great story

[voxonda]

A lump in my throat.

Rob

[Don R]

 & a tear in my eye.

[Terry in Australia]

Very good Sammy, I think at times there are folks who think that soldiers are just uniform clad kill-bots, without feelings or emotions, and don't realise that they're mostly just brave young men with an unenviable task, trying to bring freedom and independance to people who don't necessarily appreciate their efforts, representing a country (Britain) who's population largely don't necessarily appreciate their efforts either.

It must be hard risking your life on a daily basis knowing that apart from your family, friends, and fellow soldiers, no-one else really gives a #$%*. I know some folks do, but as the war drags on into it's 9th year, people are bored with it, and so the supporters for this crucial task are in the minority. Over here in Oz we've had 6 soldiers die in recent weeks and every time a soldier is killed, the media starts running polls on whether Oz should pull out of Afghanistan.

This is the same media who told us all about the horrors that Afghani's suffered under the Taliban regime, the torture, rape and "Honor killing" of women for trifling offences, the terrorist training camps where people like the 9/11 terrorists, Bali Bombers and 7/07 terrorists were trained to carry out acts of terror on our countries, and now they're suggesting that we just pull out and let the terrorists take over again? Anyway, rant over, thanks for sharing mate. Cheers, Terry.    

[74cb750]

Yep, makes you appreciate soldiers more when you actually meet them
vs only seeing them on the television.

[GammaFlat]

Good one Sam.